It's the next Subaru Forester, due throughout the United States and Canada by the middle of 2013. The 2014 Forester represents the fourth major overhaul of a vehicle introduced in 1998, at the leading edge of the “crossover” wave.

The next Forester's dimensions increase slightly, starting with the wheelbase (1.0 inch), length (1.4 inches) and height (1.4 inches), but curb weight increases just 46 pounds. Hip points are higher, doors slightly larger. The bigger body/frame weighs no more than the current Forester's, according to engineers, thanks to a broader application of high-carbon, high-tensile steels, and torsional rigidity increases 150 percent. Subaru expects best-in-class crash ratings in government and IIHS tests. From the driver's perspective, the stiffer structure allows a substantial increase in suspension-damping force for better response and stability, without a corresponding increase in flex or vibration.

Inside, there's more shoulder room and front space, a deeper dash, a new instrument panel and new dual graphic displays. A particularly tall automotive journalist notes that the driver's seat seems much less confining. There's more rear-seat space, too, and a less-intrusive center tunnel. Feature upgrades include 440-watt Harman/Kardon audio with the Aha smart-phone app, a programmable liftgate and Subaru's new, optically controlled EyeSight adaptive cruise control and guidance.

The base engine is about the only carryover component. Subie's familiar, port-injected 2.5-liter boxer four generates 170 hp and 174 lb-ft of torque. Transmissions include a six-speed manual (up from five) and a CVT (replacing a conventional four-speed). These, better aero and other efficiencies address a historical Forester weakness: fuel economy below the class mean. Subaru predicts EPA ratings of 24 mpg city, 32 highway with standard all-wheel drive, and the best base-engine 0-to-60 mph time among its competitors.

A new direct-injection/turbo engine displaces 2.0 liters, compared to 2.5 for the current Forester turbo engine. This engine will also power the forthcoming BRZ turbo, with direct fuel injection developed by Subaru rather than the port/direct-injection combo engineered by Toyota for the normally aspirated BRZ and Scion FR-S. A single twin-scroll turbocharger mounts below the top of the block to maintain the boxer engine's low center of mass. In the Forester, the 2.0T generates 250 hp and 258 lb-ft—up 26 hp and 28 lb-ft from the current, larger turbo engine. Subaru claims a Porsche Cayenne-grade 0-to-60 time of 6.2 seconds, with EPA ratings of 23/28. That's with the CVT, which will be the only transmission offered with the new turbo. Its control program includes a “sport” mode with six step “gears,” and “sport sharp” with eight, to simulate closer ratios.

Styling might be the least “new” thing about the 2014 Forester. In profile, it's hard to spot differences between this one and the 2013. The A-pillars are pulled forward slightly. The front end and hood are flatter and the grille is taller, shaped with six sides like the grille on other Subaru models. The changes help correct the old Forester's underbite, and if the new duds aren't radically different, the overall impression is still slightly less geeky. The 2014 Forester looks a bit richer, thanks to LED-infused light clusters and other more expensive looking jewelry.

There are a lot of happy Forester buyers out there, so it's hard to knock Subaru for its conservative approach. The Forester ranks second on Subaru's North American sales chart, and it consistently outsells a whole bunch of similarly sized, similarly purposed vehicles, from the Acura RDX to the Jeep Compass to the Volkswagen Tiguan.While technology and features have changed, the crossover's basic, multi-use utilitarian appeal hasn't changed at all.

How's it drive?

We're not certain. It's difficult to draw road-valuable conclusions during a 25-minute scoot around a manufacturer's development facility, and prototypes are almost worthless for judging showroom-level finish and refinement.

We're sure the Forester's base engine is strong enough to compete with anything in the class. The ride/handling balance will please drivers under a wide arc of bell curve, and the Forester is more stable at high speed than many competitors. The steering—with a new rack-mounted electric motor—feels a bit numb on center, but comes in nicely moving toward the edges.

One thing stood out, and it has nothing to do with the mechanical systems. The trend in a lot of crossovers is thick, pushed-out A-pillars and big, pulled-tight side mirrors that create triangles of mass, blocking a big chunk of the driver's sightline when looking ahead through a corner. The Forester counters by putting the mirrors on struts and filling the triangles with a quarter window, thereby reducing the visual obstruction you'll find in some vehicles in this class.

Compared to many competitors, the '14 Forester also offers an off-road bonus. A one-button program called X-Mode changes several control parameters for off-pavement use, including throttle/torque map, stability management and torque split, and it adds hill-descent control. So equipped, the Forester manages off-road exercises and steep grades with less drama and driver intervention (or skill) than a Hyundai Tucson or Toyota RAV4 require.

The Forester turbo? It's almost fast, and surprisingly fun, even with the CVT. This transmission doesn't have to annoy you with the drone of barely wavering engine revs, and it's more viscerally satisfying than the typical continuously variable box. The programmed steps work legitimately like a conventional automatic with a manual-shift feature, holding whatever range you want at whatever engine speed.

With suspension tuned for reasonably sharp response, the next Forester turbo can be as exciting as crossovers in its class get—exciting enough to make you wonder how many Forester buyers want genuine excitement in their vehicle. The 10-percent take rate for turbos in the current Forester line might answer that question.

Do I want it?

If you're a Subie geek, definitely. The 2014 Forester doesn't do anything best, but, even more than its predecessor, it does a lot of things quite well, like only a handful of vehicles in its price range. That all-roles, Swiss Army-knife quality represents the core appeal of a crossover to begin with.

In some respects, Subaru as a brand is like Saab in the 1970s and into the '80s, and then again in the late '90s. For reasons that aren't easy to pinpoint, it appeals to a certain sort. We'd guess the next Forester has the requisite Subie-ness, now packed in an improved package that fits the crossover role to a T. And it might look just different enough to let the world know it's new.